Corona in a Solar scope?

[Adz]

Hey all,

While learning about the Sun as part of my course, I wanted to ask is it possibly to view the corona through the solar scopes that you can buy? (like the coronado pst). Or is it all surface features like granules and spots?

I guess you would have to use a fov eyepiece of something like 68-100 degrees if it was possible, perhaps too faint...

None of them take 2" eps right?

Thanks,

Adam

[Merlin66]

I've never seen the corona with an Ha scope. You will see the photosphere and the proms as well as all the surface features.

The blocking filters used in the Ha system limit the FOV. So usually only 1.25" eyepieces or camera attachments are used.

[ollypenrice]

As Ken says, which is why people chase eclipses...

Olly

[Adz]

Thanks for the replies my foreign friends

[Merlin66]

Foreign friends!!

I'm a Scot aussie exiled in Belgium - have some pity!!!!

[Psychobilly]

Ok A little bit of Pity and a lot of Leffe...

[Merlin66]

Merci!!!

[Adz]

Ha ha, I just briefly read the member location

[brianb]

The lower corona blends into the chromosphere & the chromosphere is what you're seeing with a Ha scope. But there is a big difference in brightness, the scattered light in a Ha scope will swamp all but the very brightest features even in the inner corona.

In this image, as well as the prominence, there is a radial gradient in the "background" - but I wouldn't claim this as inner corona, it's much more likely light scattered in the atmosphere and in the optics. (The solar disk - grossly overexposed - has been coloured black to creat an "artificial eclipse" which shows off the prominence better ... it doesn't look like that in the raw image!)

Actually solar Ha filters are complex beasts with lots of surfaces and may therefore be rather less likely to show coronal features than a Lyot coronograph - which does work, if you have an exceptionally good high altitude site to use it from.

[Adz]

Very interesting Brian, thanks.